


storm in the heart

by khayr



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Lyrium Withdrawal, Post Before The Dawn, ok but what if: being near red lyrium is even more taxing than a simple bottle of blue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:04:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4027891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khayr/pseuds/khayr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She props herself up on an elbow, her free hand coming to rest against the curve of his hip. A short stretch of silence passes as her fingers drum a gentle beat against him. “How are you holding up?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	storm in the heart

“Cullen.” 

 

It’s not really a question that comes out of Aela’s mouth, but it’s barely a whisper in the dark of their shared tent. She can feel him shift beside her, knows he’s not really sleeping after the mess they’d stumbled into at the Shrine of Dumat. Between the hoard of red lyrium growing there and seeing just how far his templar acquaintance had fallen, she could only imagine. After a moment of quiet she receives a soft grunt in response.

 

“I’m sleeping,” he mumbles, still facing away from her, “I’m definitely sleeping.”

 

“You’re definitely a liar, that’s what you are.” There’s a soft undertone of amusement in her voice. She props herself up on an elbow, her free hand coming to rest against the curve of his hip. A short stretch of silence passes as her fingers drum a gentle beat against him. “How are you holding up?”

 

His shoulders slump a bit there; Cullen has noticed she’s stopped asking  ‘ _ are you okay _ ’ in favor of getting a better response from him. It does help, whether he wants to admit it or not. He huffs a bit and rolls over, shifting so he can press his head into the crook of her neck. Aela flops back down onto her back, fingers smoothing through his hair and absently toying with the gentle curls starting to resurface.

 

“I’d forgotten how draining red lyrium was,” he starts, suddenly sounding quite tired, “It sings louder than the blue, and Maker’s breath it’s  _ everywhere _ .” She lets out a quiet sound of agreement, allowing him to continue if he wants. This time he doesn’t; it’s enough that she even cares to ask. 

 

She can feel the heat off of his skin that comes with his bouts of withdrawal, senses each soft shiver and cringe as his headache ebbs and goes. Her fingers continue their ministrations, gently rubbing his neck and carefully combing through his hair. Cullen lets out a quiet, pleased sound that no one would ever seriously think of attributing to him outside of this tent.

 

They lay in comfortable silence for a while until Aela finally feels his body slacken into sleep, his arm draped over her waist and his head resting against her chest. She flattens the lock of hair she had been toying with, craning her neck to press her lips against his head. When he’s sorted out everything later, he’ll come to her to talk. He always does, even if he had been reluctant to at first. ‘ _ You have too much on your plate to bottle it up and push it down _ ,’ she had argued, worried after watching the toll it was taking on her Commander, ‘ _ If not for yourself then at least for your inquisitor _ .’ Aela had been more than surprised when he turned up at her door two nights later with a bottle of wine, ready to talk. Even by her standards, he had so much on his mind; too much for one person to shoulder alone.

 

For the moment she knows sleep is a welcome reprieve. 

**Author's Note:**

> I keep thinking about how if non-mages and templars can hear the song of red lyrium, it must be absolutely maddening to someone already suffering from withdrawal. The Shrine of Dumat was filled with it, poor Cullen must have been miserable in there on top of everything else going on. ):
> 
> A bit of a character study of my inquisitor's relationship with the commander.


End file.
